—A baby, in order to thrive, must have suitable food, given at regular intervals. During the first few months of life no other food can
take the place of mother's milk. Breast-fed babies are more robust than bottle-fed babies; more than this, they are less likely to contract infectious diseases or to suffer from digestive disorders. The number of bottle-fed babies who die every year is three times as great as the number of breast-fed babies who die. Many mothers do not understand the risk involved in weaning small babies; and so every year many little lives are lost, and lost needlessly. When poverty forces nursing mothers to wean their babies and seek work outside their homes, one can only say that a society which tolerates such a waste of infant life is indeed regardless of its own welfare.
Special conditions, of course, may make it undesirable for a mother to nurse her baby. No one but the physician is competent to decide this; not even neighbors, grandmothers, other members of the family, or the mother herself. Where artificial feeding must be used, it should be carefully adapted to the individual child, and in consequence it must be prescribed by the doctor. Patent foods, notwithstanding the claims on their printed labels, should be used only under his advice.
Intervals of Feeding.
—Little milk is secreted during the first two days after the birth of a child. The baby should, nevertheless, be put to the
breast as soon as he has had his first bath, if the mother is sufficiently rested. Always before and after nursing the mother's nipples should be washed in water that has been boiled. Nursing should be repeated at intervals of six hours during the first two days.
The following schedule for the feeding of healthy babies is given by Holt in "Care and Feeding of Infants." (1917.)
| Age | Interval between meals by day | Night feedings, 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. | No. of feedings, in 24 hours | Quantity for one feeding | Quantity for 24 hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hours | Ounces | Ounces | |||
| 2d to 7th day | 3 | 2 | 7 | 1-2 | 1-14 |
| 2d and 3d weeks | 3 | 2 | 7 | 2-3½ | 14-24 |
| 4th to 6th week | 3 | 2 | 7 | 3-4 | 21-28 |
| 7th week to 3 mos. | 3 | 2 | 7 | 3½-5 | 25-35 |
| 3 to 5 months | 3 | 1 | 6 | 4½-6 | 27-36 |
| 5 to 7 months | 3 | 1 | 6 | 5½-6½ | 33-39 |
| 7 to 12 months | 4 | 1 | 5 | 7-8½ | 35-43 |
During the period when seven feedings are given in 24 hours the following hours will be found convenient: 6 a.m., 9 a.m., 12 m., 3 p.m., 6 p.m., 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. The 2 a.m. feeding is the one omitted when the number of feedings is reduced from seven to six. Food should be given on exact
schedule time; the baby if asleep should be waked for any meal except the one due at 2 a.m.